Applies to: 

This policy applies to Faculty, Staff, Volunteers, and Students who function as a Club or student organization advisors, students, and volunteers

Purpose of the Policy:

To manage institutional risk in support of student safety. To promote quality and operational efficiency, and reduce redundancy between Business Services and Student Affairs regarding pre-authorization requirements for student club and organization travel. This policy does not apply to sports clubs that fall under the Recreational Sports Department’s Sports Club Handbook.

Definitions

Authorized Travelers: Club members, advisors, or volunteers who have completed the required steps that have been processed through the Clubs & Activities Office. Such steps include, but are not limited to: being on the travel roster; completing the pre-travel release of liability; submitting driver information, if needed. Once completed, travelers are notified that they are “authorized travelers”.

Club Travel: What a reasonable person would define as anytime a club or student organization is traveling as a group with a common purpose aligned with the mission of the student organization, regardless of how the expenses will be reimbursed.

Reasonable Person: A hypothetical person in society who exercises average care, skill, and judgement in conduct and who serves as a comparative standard for determining liability

Student Club and/or Student Organization: Student Clubs or Student Organizations that have gone through the yearly recognition process through the Clubs & Activities office and have been approved to function as an HSU recognized organization.

Sports Clubs: Student Clubs or Organizations that are under the supervision and oversight of the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreational Sports. Sports Clubs are physical in nature and each student club member is required to pay for secondary insurance.

Policy Details:

Implementing this Policy:

• This policy is similar to the CSU Travel Policy G-001 but with increased requirements to mitigate risk for student clubs and organizations
• This policy is similar to that of the Sports Club Handbook as mandated by the CSU Sports Club Guide August 2016 but with decreased requirements

• Travel authorization will be processed through the Clubs & Activities office instead of Concur to promote quality and operational efficiency for student clubs and organizations.

 When a Request for Authorization to Travel Must Be Submitted:

 “Authorization to Travel” requests must be submitted in advance, meeting the deadlines set by the Clubs & Activities Office, anytime a club or student organization is traveling as a group with a common purpose which aligns with the mission of that student organization. The “Authorization to Travel” form is required when “club travel” involves:

• Traveling outside of Humboldt County
• Any time travel involves an overnight stay
• Reimbursement for any costs associated with travel within Humboldt County, such as:
  • Conference / Registration Fees
  • Lodging Fees
  • Fuel Costs (Only approved drivers may be reimbursed for fuel)

Required Steps for University Sanctioned Travel

For Travel to be Sanctioned by the University, Clubs Must Follow These Steps:

• Submit an “Authorization to Travel” Request
• Each traveler must complete a “Pre-Travel Release of Liability”
• All drivers must have a valid CA Driver’s License, and complete the following steps:

• If driving a personal vehicle, drivers must bring the following to the Clubs & Activities office:

▪       Valid Driver’s License

▪       Proof of Current Insurance

▪       Driver Authorization Form

▪       “Authorization to Use Privately Owned Vehicles” (STD261) if driving personal vehicle

• If driving Enterprise Rental Vehicle, drivers must bring the following to the Clubs & Activities office:

▪       Valid Driver’s License

▪       Driver Authorization Form

▪       Please note: Enterprise is the only approved rental car company for club travel due to insurance requirements.

• Driving Record Report via Accurate Background Check
• Complete Defensive Driver Training
• Please be aware that extra time for processing will be needed for:
  • Non-HSU students who travel with clubs
  • Student drivers with out-of-state licenses
• Procedures for travel authorization are subject to change to increase efficiency and safety for students. Please refer to the Clubs Handbook which can be found at clubs.humboldt.edu.

International Travel

International travel requires additional steps to ensure the safety of the travelers and therefore, clubs must plan ahead. For international travel we require paperwork to be submitted at least 45 days in advance of the proposed travel.

The Clubs and Activities Office will help in navigating through these processes after you complete the “Authorization to Travel”.

Post Travel Reimbursements

Only students who have completed all the required steps to be considered an “authorized traveler” are eligible to be reimbursed for travel expenses. Additionally, only approved drivers can be reimbursed for fuel costs per CSU requirements.

Prohibition on State-Funded and State-Sponsored Travel to States with Discriminatory laws (AB 1887)